copyright

SoundExchange subsidiary SXWorks announced the launch of a new service for music publishers and songwriters called the NOI Lookup. This searchable database contains all the address unknown Notice of Intention to Use filings made with the U.S. Copyright Office. These NOI filings are intended to inform a copyright owner of intent to distribute a musical composition. Continue Reading →

Licensing and royalties continue to create clouds for Spotify. The streaming company has been sued by two different parties for copyright infringement, with claims that Spotify did not obtain the required licenses to stream their respective catalogs. Continue Reading →

Congress is preparing to address the topic of royalties for pre-1972 recordings, a move that sparked positive response from several music industry players. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the CLASSICS Act to establish royalty payments for the creators of music recorded prior to the advent of federal copyright laws in 1972. Representatives from SoundExchange, the RIAA, and Pandora have all reacted favorably toward this proposal. Continue Reading →

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of iHeartRadio in a pre-1972 copyright lawsuit. The online audio platform was in court over the question of whether its service should be treated as a broadcast, and thus exempt from a state statute that makes it illegal to transfer sound recordings without the owner’s consent. Continue Reading →

The latest development in the unfolding legal story between Sirius XM and Flo & Eddie is about the background paperwork. Music Reports has been chosen as the royalty administrator for a ten-year license for the satellite radio company’s use of Flo & Eddie’s recording catalog and other recordings from prior to 1972. Continue Reading →

Flo & Eddie’s see-saw of a legal case against Sirius XM has swung back in favor of the satellite radio company. New York appeals court Judge Leslie Stein ruled that the state’s common law does not protect public performance of pre-1972 sound recordings. Continue Reading →

by David Oxenford

The Copyright Royalty Board has said that there will be no cost-of-living increase for the online stream and pureplay rates levied in 2017. Here are the key details about this development. Continue Reading →

The U.S. Department of Justice has completed its much anticipated two-year review of consent decrees — decades-old laws which govern how ASCAP and BMI are permitted to license music on behalf of songwriters, composers, and publishers. The bottom line: No change, and a blow to the two major performing rights organizations (PROs) which have lobbied for more flexible control of rights management, especially in the streaming era. Continue Reading →

The barrage of open letters haranguing YouTube and its purported value gap are coming fast and furious. The International Artist Organization has penned a missive to the European Commission, adding its voice to the calls for changes in how free online services manage use of copyrighted material. Continue Reading →

A new open letter is circulating from the music industry attacking YouTube’s use of safe harbors under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This one is spearheaded by Irving Azoff, and it includes signatures from heavy hitters including Taylor Swift and U2. Continue Reading →

A district court has ruled that remastered songs are not necessarily subject to the same copyright laws as the originals. This development could have a big impact on the ongoing wave of litigation centered on music recorded prior to the adoption of federal copyright laws in 1972. Continue Reading →